Eviction drive continues for second day in Assam's Lakhimpur; 299 families to go homeless

The exercise that began on Tuesday was being undertaken by Assam to free up around 450 hectares in Pava Reserve Forest

The drive to evict encroachers from a forest land in Assam's Lakhimpur district continued for the second day on Wednesday, with 299 families residing on a 250 hectare tract left in the lurch.

The evictees, most of them Bengali-speaking Muslims, rued that they could not collect all of their belongings, and their crops were destroyed in the drive.

The exercise that began on Tuesday was being undertaken by the State to free up around 450 hectares in Pava Reserve Forest. Officials on the first day cleared 200 hectares in Mohghuli village, which was home to 201 families.

"The eviction drive resumed today at 7.30 a.m. It has been peaceful so far. We have not faced any resistance," a senior official of the district administration told PTI.

The administration has plans to clear the remaining 250 acres during the daylong exercise on Wednesday.

Around 70 bulldozers, excavators and tractors have been pressed into action in Adhasona village, while 600 police and CRPF personnel stood guard along with 200 civil officials, the official stated.

With some belongings in tow, Hasmat Alam (name changed on request), who witnessed his house being razed to the ground, claimed that he had been a resident of that area for the past 28 years.